


we'll stop being dumb and admit we're anchors and boyfriends

by parttimehuman



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anchors, Angst and Feels, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, just a smidge of crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-21 03:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16569167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parttimehuman/pseuds/parttimehuman
Summary: What happened to the Liam and the Theo that stood so close in that elevator? Where have they gone? Where has the end of the war taken them? And why so far apart? How did that happen? And how does he make it un-happen?





	we'll stop being dumb and admit we're anchors and boyfriends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oh_well_Em_writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_well_Em_writes/gifts).



> For one of the loveliest, kindest, most positive people I've ever had the honor to meet. You're a ray of sunshine, Em. Happy belated birthday!

Theoretically, Liam is very well aware that Theo Raeken is the least of his worries. The supernatural war over Beacon Hills is over, and the town has stayed calm enough afterwards for Scott to pack his things and leave for college, leaving Liam as the acting alpha of his pack. It is at least a little intimidating, to follow in a true alpha’s footsteps when you’re only a teenager who has been a werewolf for an entirety of two years, one who hasn’t earned his red alpha eyes yet, and probably still has a long way to go in order to get them. Most of the time, it feels like Liam has no idea what he’s doing, and he can only hope for that to change before the next big bad turns up at Beacon Hills. 

 

In conclusion, between his parents still not knowing about his life as a werewolf, let alone the leader of an entire pack of supernaturals, and Monroe still being out in the world somewhere with an army of hunters, Liam has an endless list of things to be concerned about. Truly, whenever he thinks about it, it becomes longer somehow. And yet, what haunts his dreams and lurks in every shadowy corner of his mind all day long is Theo. 

 

Theo and the changed person he returned from hell as. Theo and his help with the ghost riders. Theo making snarky comments that still ring true every time. Theo wearing white converse and a soft looking pink sweater. Theo driving his truck to the zoo. Theo growing his hair out until dark curls started falling into his face all the time. Theo showing up in the most unexpected moments so many times that Liam wasn’t surprised when the same thing happened at the final showdown in the hospital. Theo and the smirk playing around his lips when he declared he was being the bait. Theo and the mesmerizing collision of green and grey in his eyes. Theo and that moment in the elevator. Theo and all those threats losing their sharpness. Theo and his promise to fight with Liam. Theo and the look on his face in the moment when he said it, open and sincere.

 

In some way, Liam isn’t only thankful for the war to have ended. It’s an awful thing to think, really, and very obviously, he wouldn’t want to turn back time and do it all over again. Of course not. The thing is, with their enemy hiding out and no concerning sightings of supernaturals in Beacon Hills lately, Liam can’t think of a good enough excuse to talk to Theo, to see him. It was easy to pretend like everything about the guy was annoying him when they still spent their every day together, but after several weeks of radio silence, Liam is more annoyed than ever. Because something is missing. 

 

Nobody ever argues with him anymore. They all follow him, the whole pack, and whenever one of them has some constructive criticism to offer, it is delivered to Liam by Mason, who has been his best friend since forever and always voices his critique in a mature and respectful way. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but at times Liam wishes somebody would just punch him in the face, crazy as it sounds.

 

Sometimes Liam catches himself doing something stupid. Not like a fatal mistake, more like turning a pancake by throwing it up in the air and perfectly ruining it, or like forgetting to bring fresh toilet paper from his mom’s stack downstairs to his own bathroom and only noticing when… well, when he needs it. It’s ridiculous, really, but it situations like those, Liam’s brain automatically imagines Theo’s sarcastic commentary, the sly smile dancing on his lips and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

 

Sure, if Theo actually caught him on the toilet without paper, Liam would most likely die of shame, but in some weird, twisted way, for Theo not to be there is even worse. Slowly but surely, it’s costing a good bit of Liam’s composure. He can feel his chill fading with every day that passes without Theo, and yes, theoretically, Liam knows what that means, knows what an anchor is and why it’s so important to a werewolf, but what can he do about it? He can’t just wind up at Theo’s door and ask him to stay around. First of all, he literally can’t, because Liam doesn’t even know where Theo lives. But secondly, and that’s by far more important, what if Theo doesn’t want to be his anchor? After all, the chimera surely didn’t sign up for it. 

 

Theo might not be a real werewolf like Liam, but he's a lone wolf at heart, or so literally everyone says.  Nobody knows what he's doing now that the battles are won, nobody even really knows where he is, and sadly enough, with the exception of Liam himself, nobody seems to care. It irks him, somehow, deep down inside, and he thinks it's a feeling he can learn to live with, but he's wrong, as it turns out just a bit later. The irk ruins his days more often than not, keeps him up at night, soon turning into a full on hole inside of him, where coldness and fear find room to settle and eat at him. 

 

"Dude, are you alright?" Mason asks when Liam arrives at school late again, definitely not having seen a shower from the inside that morning.

 

A strange combination of dread and relief consumes Liam. He doesn't know how to explain why he isn't alright, how he's gotten so far from being alright in such a short time and that neither Mason nor the rest of the pack can help him this time. Still, it's not like he can ignore the emptiness inside him for much longer, so maybe it's about time life forces him to face his issues.

 

"Something's missing," Liam says, because it's the only way he knows to put it.

 

"What do you mean?" Mason asks, looking at him with both curiosity and concern in his eyes.

 

Liam shakes his head, his lips staying pursed, because how can it even make sense? His hand is trembling as he slowly lifts is, placing it above his own beating heart. "Here," he whispers.

 

"You mean Hayden?" Mason suggests.

 

Liam is immediately thrown off by this. He doesn't bear any hard feelings, but her name shouldn't be called in this context. She has no place in his misery. "No," Liam shakes his head. 

"Not like that. It's... Different."

 

"Scott and the rest of the pack? Is this about you being the alpha again?"

 

"No," Liam denies again. "It's about... I don't know how to explain it. Something's just missing, okay? Like a hole in my chest that's getting bigger every damn day and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I'm aggressive, I'm tired, I'm on the edge. I'm losing control, and I hate it."

 

"Ahh, so you mean your anchor?"

 

Liam wasn't aware that Mason has such a clear picture of what an anchor is, but now that he said it, it's the only thing that's ever made sense in his life.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Do you think you need to find one?" Mason asks.

 

"I need to find him, yeah," Liam confirms. "But not just anyone. Only him."

 

He isn't even talking to Mason anymore, Liam thinks. He's just muttering to himself, feeling miserable and lonely, speaking out what he's long known, aware that it won't bring him a miraculous solution to his problem. He wonders if it's possible to replace an anchor by another one.

 

Mason nods. "Theo," he concludes, and it's not even debatable whether it could have been a question. It's just a fact. It's written all over Liam's face and in the stars over the town that is their common destiny. It's the truth that can't be hidden, and it's about time that Liam stops trying.

 

"I don't get it," Mason says. "If Theo is your anchor, then why did you let him go? Why not keep him around after the war? And make him pack?"

 

Now that's the real question right there, isn't it? Why the hell not just own up to what has been happening between him and Theo, to all that tension and the bond forming between them, to the need to have Theo around him at all times? Why not go ahead and tell Theo so, and then the entire pack? Why not make him part of Liam's life?

 

He knows why. Because no matter how many times Theo has surprised him, showing a whole new side of himself, Liam still can't imagine the chimera being part of somebody else's life. He still can't believe that Theo would want that.

 

"Because it's complicated," he presses out between clenched jaws, not satisfied with his own sorry excuse.

 

"Is it, Liam?" Mason asks. Damn him, why does he always make such good points?

 

***

 

Truth be told, Theo is barely coping. He's been through different versions of hell, has been the Dread Doctors' little pet and then made an actual visit in the underworld, getting to know pain from all the possible angles, and after all that, after coming back to actual life, Theo thought things could only move upwards, but he was very, very wrong.

 

It's not so hard to stay alive anymore, to make his way across town without almost dying or to keep himself fed. He's facing a whole new sort of difficulty now - the life of a regular person living among humans. There's nobody telling him what to do anymore, and there's no pack counting on his help, nobody waiting for him to show up and save their ridiculous asses, nothing he's actually useful for.

 

It turns out living is about a little more than sucking in the next breath and waking up again in the morning. There are a lot more things going on, and Theo isn't prepared for any of them. The last time he lead an actual life, he was about eight years old. More than half of his life lies between then and now, and it feels like the years have taken his humanity away. He didn't notice while he was busy fighting a war, but now it comes crashing down over him like waves, pulling him away from the safety of the shore and leaving him stranded somewhere entirely else. Theo is lost.

 

The home that belonged to his cover is gone, and he hasn't had the courage to go back to school yet. People's gratitude doesn't buy him anything, and allies are not the same as friends. He takes smaller jobs, mows lawns and paints fences, walks the dogs of elderly ladies just until he's got enough money for food and gas. For the first time in Theo's life, there's no place to go, no goal lying ahead, no purpose to his existence. Something is missing.

 

The things that hurt him now are nothing in comparison to the suffering he's been through, which kind of makes it worse, because he doesn't think he has the right to be hurt by them. A stranger averting their gaze and crossing the street in order not to pass by him leaves a sting in his heart, the sight of two teenagers holding hands in the park almost kills him. Making small talk with the cashier at the gas station is the worst. He always feels like he can't breathe.

 

To that point, life is just miserable, yet still not on the verge to unbearable. But then there are the nightmares that are still not gone. Quite the opposite, actually. They feel different. They feel a little more real every night. It takes a little longer for Theo to wake up and realize Tara isn't actually haunting him to take her heart back, and the dread stays with him even when he's awake, weighing at his shoulders.

 

It takes entirely too long for a smart guy like Theo to figure it out.

 

In his defense, he's a chimera, not an actual werewolf, so he never thought he'd have this whole anchor issue. And after all, the list of things that are wrong with him is truly endless, so a missing anchor isn't exactly the first thing to come up with. It almost seems too easy. It would mean that all he really needs is one other person in his life. Just one person who doesn't hate his guts, who can actually stand him. Theo wonders if that as a concept is even a possibility. He almost believed in it, for a short time, when working together became easy and talking comfortable and one moment in an elevator shook him to the core. Liam made that happen. Liam almost had him a believer.

  
  


Weird as it may sound, with Liam fighting by his side, in the middle of a supernatural war, Theo discovered the shattered bits of humanity he has left in him.  He knew it from the very first moment. He saw the fire in that kid's eyes, and he wanted that. Much later, something strange happened and threw Theo off so hard that he still hasn't recovered. It was him at the hospital, declaring that he'd come to be the bait, and Liam scrambling to his feet in Theo's back, pounding against the closing doors of the elevator, a low and loud "Nooooooooo!" echoing through the place. The same fire, burning for Theo that time.

 

It’s strange, to think that that time is over now. Liam doesn’t count on him anymore, and neither does anybody else. Theo is all by himself, and while that same situation used to make him feel free and independent and like he had nothing to lose, now it’s just… empty and dark, the void he carries around the world inside himself growing with every passing second. It sounds pathetic, really, but what can Theo do about it? He can’t go back to any of the earlier versions of himself that didn’t need anybody, not after he’s gotten to know what it feels like to be by Liam’s side. 

 

The only question is, what will he do? Theo certainly can’t keep living on the same way, never sleeping because of the thoughts that haunt him, never being fully awake or alive or in any really human state really, doing nothing, thinking nothing, saying nothing and never being good for anything at all. It can’t just go on that way, and Theo knows it. 

 

Still, he can’t exactly go over to Liam’s and explain it as it is, can he? Seems a little crazy to just turn up at somebody’s home to tell them you need them to be your anchor for the rest of your life, doesn’t it? Not exactly the kind of conversation Theo would like to have when the ‘Hi’s and ‘How are you?’s already overwhelm him like no supernatural danger ever has. 

 

In some way, he’s afraid of Liam more than he’s scared of anything else. Not necessarily of Liam. He’s not going to lash out and kill him just because Theo is being a stupid idiot again. More of the rejection Theo is absolutely sure he has to expect from him. Liam has made it clear on numerous occasions that he’s only dealing with Theo because he’s of use to the entire pack and its mission to defeat the ghost riders and the anuk-ite, Monroe’s army of hunters. 

 

There’s nothing that would lead Theo to believe that Liam could actually give a flying shit about him, or is there? What about the elevator? Or that moment in the car when Liam handed him the right key and a wave of triumph had come for both of them, something hot and exciting boiling up in their blood that wasn’t just adrenaline. Did Liam see any of that the same way as he did? 

Did he want to? Did he care? 

 

And what about now? They haven’t spoken in what feels like forever. Theo has made absolutely sure to never accidentally run into Liam. He has no idea what the werewolf is doing at the moment, and how things are going as the pack leader. Theo doesn’t know how well life has been treating Liam, or the things that are missing from Liam the way Liam is missing from him. Are there any? And if so, what might they be? 

 

Theo can’t keep his head from spinning or his thoughts from racing. With every second his obsession grows stronger, genuine wondering turning into an absolute necessity to know. All he can see is the blue of Liam’s eyes in every corner of his mind, all he can hear is Liam’s voice, over and over again. 

 

_ I’m not dying for you either. But I will… fight with you.  _

 

What happened to the Liam and the Theo that stood so close in that elevator? Where have they gone? Where has the end of the war taken them? And why so far apart? How did that happen? And how does he make it un-happen? 

 

A thing changes inside him, taking just a split second. A thing that for once in Theo’s life, isn’t loud or followed by explosions, isn’t earth shattering or extreme in any way, is soft and violent at the same time, cracking something open inside of him, making him bleed as much as it's making him heal. It’s like a realization, except not just a realization of his mind, but his heart, his soul, every bit of his longing self. It's written in big, red, capitalized letters all over the night sky and coloring the blankness that is his life; Liam's name.

 

Theo can tell himself he will never be good enough all he wants, but that doesn't mean he can sit in his truck in the cold of November forever, doesn't mean he can ignore what he wants and needs the most, even if the attempt to get it will destroy him for good, which it has a fairly good chance of doing. If that is how it has to end, though, then Theo is ready now more than ever. He's lost anyway. He might as well go and hand Liam the tools to finish him off.

 

***

 

It's one thing to be really sure about something, and a whole other pair of shoes to actually pull through with it. Liam tells himself he's keeping his eyes open for Theo's truck as he's roaming Beacon Hills, and Theo drives by Liam's house a few times a day. Still, neither finds the courage to actually go out of their way to do something. The truth that they have to a little more badly with every new morning is undeniable, but that alone doesn't make anything magically happen.

 

What makes something happen - and not magically, but by sheer force of will - is Mason. Because what are real friends for if not to be done with two completely idiotically behaving boys at some point and just setting them up so they finally have to talk?

 

It's Thursday and time for a pack meeting when it happens. Theo thinks he's picking Mason up at Liam's place and doing him a favor by giving him a lift for some curious reason, whereas Liam waits for Mason to pick him up and drive him to the animal clinic, where the whole pack is supposed to meet.

 

“You’re not Mason,” Liam observes, almost ripping the door of Theo’s truck off while opening it, staring inside with an annoyed look on his face and a harsh sounding nose exhale. 

 

“I could say the same,” Theo responds, “but why waste time stating the obvious, baby beta? I’m actually here to drive your human sidekick to the animal clinic, although I have no clue why he can’t drive himself, to be completely honest with you.” 

 

“Well, and I’m here waiting for my human best friend to pick me up and drive me to the animal clinic, so something’s clearly not adding up here,” Liam snaps. 

 

“Are you calling me a liar?” Theo gasps. “How stupid do you think I am? I know you can tell by my heartbeat if I’m lying!” 

 

“I’m- Wait a minute. Oh! Ohhhhhh!” So Liam is waiting for Mason, and Theo is also here for Mason, except Mason stood them both up, which can only mean one thing, and it’s not even a thing that doesn’t make any sense regarding their situation. Actually, it makes perfect sense. 

 

Liam ducks his head down and climbs into the truck, falling into the passenger seat as Theo watches incredulously, his heart beating faster know for reasons that yet remain to be unravelled. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Theo growls dangerously. He gestures vaguely towards Liam sitting in his passenger seat and pulling the door shut. 

 

“This is all Mason’s doing,” Liam sighs. Now this is where it gets a little complicated, because how does he explain to Theo that Mason is actually making all of it happen because Liam has been whining non-stop about his anchor missing from him, his anchor who happens to be Theo of all existing people. Sounds crazy enough for Theo to never ever in a thousand years or all eternity to believe him. “Kind of a funny story…” 

 

“You think? I’m not sure I’m getting the joke, to tell you the truth. Would you care to enlighten me?” 

 

Liam seriously considers it. The intensity of Theo’s stare is just a bit much for him, though, making his heart flutter and his skin crawl both at the same time, throwing him off his game like literally no other thing in the world can. 

 

“Can you… drive?” Liam asks, his insecurity resonating in his voice, making him sound stupid and pathetic. 

 

“Well, I own a truck that I came here in, my tank is full and the road empty ahead of us, so I guess that I can drive, yeah,” Theo answers, “the question, though, is why I should drive  _ you _ ?”

 

“Because I actually need to get to the animal clinic for real,” Liam explains. And because he absolutely can’t have Theo’s eyes burning themselves into the side of his face any longer. It’s almost unbearable as it is. 

 

Theo sighs deeply and rolls his eyes. “I feel like you owe me for this.” 

 

“Fine,” Liam growls, “whatever.” 

 

“Not whatever,” Theo points out, “at least a nice dinner or something. I don’t know. Maybe I’d like to be treated like I’m special for once.” 

 

“Oh, I can give you a very special treatment, Theo,” Liam laughs bitterly, although he realizes immediately how stupid he’s being. All he’s wanted for months is to have Theo close to him, and now that he’s sitting right next to the chimera, all anxiety aside, Liam can feel his wolf relaxing in a way that it hasn’t in a long time, and absolutely never with Liam being so aware of it. 

 

Theo doesn’t seem to take any offense. All he does is chuckle and sink back in his seat as he drives. “Still working on that anger, huh?” He asks. 

 

He’s kind of glad, if he’s being honest. As unexpected as it comes to suddenly have Liam right there in his truck, filling the little space inside it up with his scent and making Theo’s head a little dizzy with it, he’s still thankful for that Liam being the same Liam he remembers so vividly in all of his dreams, a pure heart but with a bit of an edge to it. It calms him instantly.

 

Liam shrugs. “Haven’t really been making much progress since…” 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Theo nods, “I get it.” 

 

It’s not like Liam is completely surprised by Theo’s understanding, but it still feels weird. Now there’s this thing hanging in the air around them, this very obvious situation of them both knowing each too well for two guys who never talk or see each other anymore. It’s silent for so long that Liam starts counting the trees they pass by. He’s never quite felt the same way, both at peace with himself and place he’s in, but also on alert, nervous, the wolf and the human feeling two very different ways about Theo. 

 

“So, what’s this all about, huh?” Theo wants to know. He sounds strange, too, not at all like snarky, sarcastic, devilishly confident Theo, but Liam kind of likes that. “Pack business? How’s that going?” 

 

Liam doesn’t know how exactly he’s supposed to answer the question. Being the alpha isn’t completely terrible so far. All pack members are really supportive of him, but then again, he hasn’t had to deal with any major crises yet, so how could he possibly tell? 

 

“Fine, I guess,” he shrugs. 

 

Because the real problems don’t have anything to do with leading a pack, they’re really a lot more about handling himself without an anchor, but does he want to dive right into that now? When Theo is driving and any distraction could lead to a catastrophe in the blink of an eye? Doesn’t exactly seem like a smart move to him. 

 

“Awesome. I knew you’d make a good alpha one day. Knew it from the start. Remember that? Your kind offer to punch me in the balls and all that? You were a real cutie.” 

 

The words sound like good old Theo, sort of, but the vibe that comes across through the chimera’s chemosignals is a different one. One that Liam isn’t familiar with, and yet his wolf seems to be perfectly able to process it. _ Mate _ , it calls, but it’s a patient call, a lot less urgent than during the previous months. Theo is right there, and the wolf parts of Liam don’t seem to care about the issues they have as humans. It’s strangely satisfied with the situation. 

 

Liam remembers. And then thinks about how it sounds when Theo calls him a cutie. And blushes. And then remembers some more, his mind taking him back to the time when Stiles made him spy on Theo, and he watched him leaving lilies at the place where his sister died, discovering for the first time how much of an effect Theo’s scent can have on him. 

 

“How’s the murder business going?” Liam asks in return, although he absolutely doesn’t assume Theo could still be interested in hurting anybody. The war has left its marks in all of their lives, in Theo’s maybe even more than the others. 

 

“No idea,” Theo replies, “I’ve retired. I prefer sitting in rocking chairs and feeding ducks in the park now.” 

 

Liam is cackling. It’s not his fault. The mental image of Theo doing exclusively grandparents stuff is just too hilarious. He must be the hottest grandpa in town, though. 

 

“I’m sorry but you’re literally the last person I can imagine getting old.” 

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Theo asks with a bemused smile on his lips. “Am I supposed to feel offended by that? Do you mean because you assume I’ll get killed before reaching my forties? Because if that’s what you’re saying, then I honestly can’t blame you.” 

 

“No, I don’t think it’s that,” Liam replies. He really doesn’t think so. Actually, he can imagine Theo dying at any point whatsoever even less than he can imagine him getting old. Maybe it’s just because the Theo he knows is so unapologetically  _ Theo _ , this special kind of  _ himself,  _ of  _ rooted,  _ and  _ home,  _ that it’s close to impossible seeing him as something else. 

 

“Oh, I get it,” Theo smirks. “You mean because you can’t picture me not being hot anymore.” 

 

“What?” 

 

Liam is caught so off guard that he doesn’t remember shutting himself up before the word is out, his high pitched voice sounding so dumbfounded and shrieky and weird that no blind and deaf human would have believed him that he really doesn’t think that Theo is hot, never has, absolutely not ever. 

 

“No need to be ashamed,” Theo laughs, “I appreciate that very much, little wolf. And I mean, you’re right. I should definitely put this body to some use before it gets old. I think I would have definitely tried it out if the whole being kidnapped by the Dread Doctors thing hadn’t come in between, you know.” 

 

“What are you saying?” Liam wants to know, because holy fucking shit, what is Theo saying? That he’s never… ? Never done what? About what kind of putting his body to use are they even talking? All of a sudden, it’s all that Liam needs to know. 

 

“You know…” 

 

It’s Theo’s turn to blush now, and dear god, Liam has never seen that before, but he loves how the chimera is practically beaming, squirming a little beneath Liam’s gaze fixed on him, his bright red cheeks radiating off a heat that Liam wants to catch and conserve and savor for the rest of his life and all eternity because it’s the most precious thing he’s ever witnessed. 

 

“I didn’t know you had the ability to blush,” he whispers, because the thought is absolutely genuine. He’s literally in awe, his wolf purring, urging to the left, closer to Theo. It wants and wants and wants. And Liam wants the same. 

 

“Well, I tried my best to hide this shameful secret from the rest of the world,” Theo growled lowly, not sounding threatening or aggressive for even a tiny little bit. 

 

“From the rest of the world?” Liam asks. “But not me?” 

 

“I don’t know, there’s not really a point, is there?” 

 

Okay, but, how does he mean that? Liam would be lying if he claimed to be not freaking out completely on the inside thinking about a possible explanation for that statement. Is there anything he's been missing? Or is it even that? Was the tension between them at the hospital all those months ago, in the elevator and at the zoo not just caused by the threat of what was coming for them? Is there actually more to the things Liam has been telling himself were there between the two of them? Does any of it have even the remotest chance to be real? To be... mutual, even?

 

Liam can't stop himself from hoping, but then again, why did Theo leave so quickly? Why did he avoid them all for months? Never returning to school, never being seen around again. That surely hasn't been just coincidental. It must have been Theo avoiding them. Avoiding Liam. And how the hell does that fit into all of it?

 

Theo pulls up in front of the animal clinic and Liam opens the door, ready to jump out of the truck, then freezing in his tracks. "Hey, ugh, are you coming in?"

 

"What? Why?"

 

Liam can't exactly answer with 'Because Mason will never talk to me again if I let you go now', although that's legitimately the main reason for Liam to invite Theo inside. But then he remembers there's more. And he decides to be honest. "I don't know. Feels like it would be weird for you to just leave now."

 

***

 

Not that he's expected for anything else to happen, but when Liam and Theo walk into the animal clinic through the front door, Mason has to seriously hold on to not just burst out in uncontrolled laughter. Frankly, they look like damn idiots with their grim faces. He doesn't need any supernatural powers to read both of their minds. They’re shitting their pants. It's tragic and hilarious at the same time, really. Everyone can tell unmistakably how they're drawn to each other. It's been months since they were in the same room together, but it's right back there, that tension that's always connected them.

 

Mason knows. He can see it in their eyes and their body language, can smell it in the air. He loves Liam like he loves nobody else, and he loves Theo at least for the sake of Liam, too, but to be honest, he's a little bit done with their stubborn ignorance of their own feelings.

 

"Finally," he sighs, watching as two pairs of eyes land on him, confusion and curiosity lingering in them. "You guys are here."

 

"Yeah," Liam says, "we've kind of been waiting for somebody, you know. Also, where are the others?"

 

"Oh, you haven't heard? Pack meeting has been rescheduled."

 

"It has fucking what now? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'm the one who would have done that, I don't remember..."

 

"Yeah, yeah, okay, I'm just helping you out here, okay? You have more important things to take care of," Mason tells his best friend. Liam looks so thrown off that it's bordering between adorable and ridiculous.

 

"Uhm, should I leave you alone then?" Theo asks shyly, already on his way back to the entrance he just came through, but Mason isn't going to let him off the hook so easily.

 

"Nope." He shakes his head seriously. "I'm afraid Liam needs you for this."

 

Mason uses the utter cluelessness of both boys to his advantage and seals the ring of mountain ash he's formed around the building, stepping over it through the open door before turning back around to them.

 

"Mason, what the hell?" Liam complains. "What are you doing?"

 

Mason shrugs. "The way I see it, our pack has a tiny little problem. Our alpha hasn't been himself lately. Personally, I feel like that situation might be related to a missing anchor, but hey, I'm not a supernatural after all, so what do I know, right? Theo on the other hand probably knows way more about that stuff. You'll figure it out together."

 

"Mase!" Liam growls. "Do not dare to leave right now."

 

"Leave?" Mason asks. "Are you kidding me? I'm not missing this."

 

"You're not missing what exactly?" Theo wants to know. "I'm not really sure what the goal is here."

 

Mason exhales deeply. So they need the absolutely simplified version, as it seems. He should have expected this. "Alright, if you like to play dumb, then I'm going to play along. I want a five minute long hug at the very least. I'll be setting a timer. Do you want some romantic music to go along? I can sing you a song?"

 

"Please don't," Liam whines with a tortured look on his face.

 

"Alright, here it goes," Mason announces, because they're not the only ones who can behave completely immature. "We'll call this one 'we will stop being dumb and admit we're anchors and boyfriends', are you ready to hear it?"

 

"What?" Theo asks incredulously, looking frantically between Liam who pinches his nose in a desperate attempt to contain his anger and Mason who's having the time of his life behind the line of mountain ash.

 

"Oh, I think you heard me."

 

"You do realize that mountain ash doesn't affect me the same way as Liam, right?" Theo argues, but the fact that he's still standing on the other side of it tells Mason that he's long won.

 

"Sure, but do you really want to leave Liam alone in there? Or does a five minute long hug actually sound tempting to you, by any chance?"

 

"You are ridiculous," Theo snorts, but... he doesn't do anything. He doesn't move away.

 

"Well, you're in good company then," Mason shrugs, watching as Theo turns his head to Liam. It's not a silent conversation about how to best murder Mason and escape the situation, and he can tell that. It's that same thing that's happened numerous times before between them, making Mason feel almost like he's an intruder spying on something extremely intimate happening.

It's quiet for a few moments. Mason is actually tempted to just turn away and leave. He's positive that Theo won't leave Liam in his prison made of mountain ash, and he's certain that Liam won't let the chance slip to finally get closer to actually have Theo in his life. Still, he doesn't trust those two dorks to not fuck up somehow.

 

Mason starts humming a random melody, looking around, pacing back and forth slowly as if he isn't really interested in their conversation at all. If all he needs to get them together is making a fool out of himself and singing, he's one hundred percent prepared for that.

 

"Oh no," Liam mumbles, "Mase, I'm warning you."

 

Mason doesn't give a shit. He's watched them not being together for long enough already.

 

"Today is the day we will stop being dumb," he begins singing, only raising his voice when both Liam and Theo groan simultaneously. "Because werewolves are not too cool to have feelings too. It's time to admit we're anchors and boyfriends. Because a five minute hug is a nice thing to do. Let's stop being dumb, let's stop being duuuuuuuuumb, let's stop being-"

 

"I'm going to murder you!" Liam snaps, suddenly standing right in front of his face. What a shame, Mason was just getting into it, just channeling his inner musician.

 

"Well, you say that," Mason grins, "but you're not actually super angry." He points at Liam. "See? No fangs, no claws. Isn't that strange? Almost like your anchor is currently around, grounding you. What a funny coincidence."

 

It's in that moment that Mason can see something in Theo's eyes changing, because now it's becoming real even for him. Mason can watch Theo processing the realization, understanding that Mason isn't just making fun of them, that he's not landed in some bad prank or anything, that Liam is actually not wolfing out at Mason, and that that is absolutely not explicable in any other way than for Mason to be right about the anchor thing.

 

"See, Theo gets it," Mason smiles. "And I think my work here is done."

 

While Liam slowly turns around to face Theo again, Mason quietly moves away, but not before dragging the tip of his shoe through the line of mountain ash he's created earlier. They're not actually stupid enough to not get this right from here on, are they? Mason doesn't think so.

 

***

 

Theo watches fascinated as Liam turns around to him in incredible slowness, a mixture of guilt and relief and fear and hope in his baby blue eyes. He’s insecure, Theo realizes, almost as much as Theo is, although Theo clearly has an advantage in that area. He’s way more experienced than Liam could ever be. 

 

“He’s right,” Theo whispers, because how can he not say it when it’s all the both of them can think in that moment. Mason might have acted like a twelve-year-old about setting them up together, but the fact that Liam indeed doesn’t show his fangs or claws or any of the usual amount of anger can’t exactly be denied. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Liam murmurs, his gaze fixed to the ground. His arms are hanging from his body uselessly. It looks strange on the boy who seems so full of life and energy most of the time. Almost like resignation, which doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to Theo, because holy hell, if he truly is Liam’s anchor, then that’s like the greatest miracle and the best damn thing to happen to him. 

 

“What are you apologizing for?” Theo asks. 

 

“For dragging you into this,” Liam explains. He looks young and nervous as he speaks, keeping a strangely big distance. “I know you never wanted anything like this. A pack, or someone holding you back, weighing you down. I know you don’t want to be my babysitter, and I seriously get that. But I couldn’t help it, you know. I didn’t even notice when it happened. Or after. I had no idea. All I knew was that I was getting worse with every day after you were no longer in the picture, and that everything was empty and cold and something was missing, and then all of it was missing, everything that mattered, and I just… I don’t know how to deal with it, but that everything is you, and I know you didn’t ask to be my everything, but I can’t change it, okay? So please don’t blame me.” 

 

Liam ends his little rant with reddened ears and a shameful look to the ground in front on Theo’s feet. Everything is wrong. He’s got is so damn backwards that it physically pains Theo. 

 

“I don’t blame you,” Theo says quietly. His heart is beating like crazy, because it almost believes the greatest luck on earth is right in front of him at last, but the stupid thing doesn’t dare trust it, has gone through too much pain by now to allow itself to feel one hundred percent sure about anything. 

 

“I don’t blame you, Liam, because I know the feeling.” 

 

Liam makes a strange little noise that Theo doesn’t know how to interpret. “How could you?” He asks. “How could you possibly know how big this hole inside me truly is? How could you feel the things I’ve been feeling? The void? Do you know the void?” 

 

“I know the void,” Theo nods, “better than you might think.” 

 

“It’s not possible.” 

 

“I’m not so sure, Liam,” Theo responds, stepping closer, because he needs Liam to finally raise his head and look into his eyes, because there are important things he has to say that he can’t exactly say with only words. He needs his eyes for them. “Is it not possible for a chimera to need an anchor, too?” 

 

Liam seems a little shocked. If Theo was human, he wouldn’t notice the shudder going through the werewolf’s body, but he does, and no matter how brief it is, it means something, something big and important and undeniable. 

 

“Any chimera?” Liam asks. “Probably not.” 

 

“And this specific chimera right in front of you?” Theo demands, because he’s going to die if Liam doesn’t finally look up to him. 

 

“I don’t know,” Liam says, “but I think if it’s possible for any one, then probably this one, yeah.” 

 

“How do I find out, though?” Theo doesn’t actually need to find out, he’s pretty sure of that. He knows what’s going on inside him, has known it even during the time when he was by himself without Liam around, when he was busy getting more and more miserable with every passing minute, but with Liam actually standing in front of him, it’s so clear and non-negotiable that it almost hurts, so obvious and bright and nearly blinding that Theo feels completely ridiculous for asking. 

 

Finally, finally, Liam lifts his chin and looks into Theo’s eyes. It’s just like the elevator all over again, his expression open, thoughts running through his head very obviously. This time they don’t have anything to fight except themselves, but just like back then, Liam makes the first step and comes closer, placing a hand over Theo’s where it’s resting on the counter in the front of Deaton’s animal clinic. 

 

“How does that feel to you?” Liam asks. He sounds different, changed. Theo doesn’t have the words to describe it. It’s all happening too fast, too overwhelmingly intense, and what even? How can he have nothing in one second and everything he’s ever needed in the next one, just like that, without ever deserving any of the miracle that Liam is. 

 

“It feels like I’m not a chimera anymore,” Theo says, because he feels like that comes closest to the truth. “Like I’m not either a human or a wolf or a coyote. Like I’m all three. And there’s no line between them anymore. Like it doesn’t actually matter which I am to what extent. Like I’m just Theo. Like just Theo is enough. Like just Theo belongs to you. And that makes him enough.” 

 

Liam’s pulls one corner of his mouth up and lets out a little sigh. “I’m pretty sure we know the answer to your question now.” 

 

“You think?” 

 

“To be completely honest with you, I’m thinking a whole lot of things right now. To say I’m confused would be like, the understatement of the century. I didn't even… wow. Like this is not how I expected this to ever go down. Not in a million years or beyond.” 

 

“I know. I… seriously, I… god, you don’t even know how much I can relate to that.” 

 

Liam smiles. And then Theo smiles too. And Liam’s hand is still on Theo’s and it feels like everything good and right in the world, crazy and unlikely as it sounds. It’s all too much, like, way too much to even get through his head, but at the same time there’s this unshakeable trust that absolutely all of it is good, or will be, because with Liam feeling the same as he does nothing can not be good. 

 

“We should…” 

 

“Stop being dumb and admit we’re anchors?” Theo suggests. 

 

They both laugh. 

 

There’s something missing at the end of that sentence that Mason said earlier, but somehow that’s not completely tragic. They’ll get there, probably. Baby steps already feel like Theo isn’t ready or capable enough. He’d be dying on the spot without his anchor. How ironic. 

 

“How does this feel?” Liam asks, taking Theo’s other hand, too, intertwining their fingers, spreading warmth through Theo’s entire body with every touch, the contact of soft skin against even softer skin consuming him, healing his soul so thoroughly that it feels like he emanates as more than he was before the Dread Doctors even.

 

“Complete,” Theo answers, looking down, both of his hands in Liam’s. Right where they belong. 

 

“And this?” 

 

Just with his hands, Liam pulls Theo closer until they’re so close, their chests are touching when the both inhale and not when they both exhale.

 

“Exactly right,” Theo says. 

 

“And this?” 

 

A brief shock consumes Theo when Liam lets go of his hands, but a second later, the wolf’s arms are wrapped around him, his head resting on his shoulder, and Theo has never been so close, but it still feels like returning home from hell. Except it’s not about the hell he’s escaping, it’s about the home that Liam will be for him. 

 

“Home.” 

 

Theo is almost afraid to do it wrong as he closes his arms around Liam’s body, almost as if he could actually break the boy, but all Liam does in breathe against his neck and tighten his hold around him, and life is good. No fireworks or string quartets or world turning upside down. Just two boys and a hug that might take five minutes or longer, but nobody’s counting the seconds. 

 

“Anchors, huh?” Liam whispers. 

 

“Anchors,” Theo agrees. 

 

They’re not going to be dumb anymore. What they are to each other is too precious for that. 


End file.
